Canadian Prairie Championship 2024

Kyle Santucci delivered a masterclass in poise at the Genesis Centre, capturing the headline title with a blistering 5.65-second average over three rounds. While his best single solve of 5.19 seconds turned heads, it was his steady rhythm across the board that kept him comfortably ahead of the 160-person field. Santucci capped off his dominant 3x3 results by finishing well clear of runner-up Benjamin Ragan, who posted a 7.58 average, and Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez, who took third at 7.67. The performance proved that enduring speed across five solves consistently outweighs the fleeting fortune of a single quick turn.

The display set the tone for the Canadian Prairie Championship 2024, held from November 2 to November 3 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. A total of 163 competitors arrived in the prairie city to tackle 13 events spanning 16 rounds of action. Throughout the two-day cubing competition, the focus remained squarely on composure and execution under pressure. Rather than chasing erratic, high-risk singles, the weekend favored athletes who built steady, reliable foundations across every discipline on the schedule.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube, multi-event powerhouse Lucas Kuczaj demonstrated remarkable stamina across the heavier twisty puzzles. Kuczaj swept three titles on the weekend, topping the 4x4x4 Cube with a 30.37 average, the 5x5x5 Cube with a 57.20 mark, and the Megaminx with a 32.83 result. In the 5x5x5 Cube final, he held off Griffin Clem and Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez in a tightly contested podium race decided by fractions of a second. Kuczaj also grabbed third place in the Clock final and a silver medal in the 2x2x2 Cube, reinforcing his reputation for relentless consistency.

The shorter formats featured nail-biting finishes where every millisecond mattered. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Benjamin Buchner secured first place with an average of 2.38 seconds, edging out Lucas Kuczaj on a tiebreak after both recorded identical 2.38 averages, while Caleb dela Fuente took third place at 2.43. Canada claimed 38 of the 39 available podium spots over the weekend, but Thailand reached the top step in Skewb when Tonnam Tantikamnerdkul averaged 4.06 seconds to defeat Danny Buschert and Jacob Swartz. In the Pyraminx division, Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez topped a field of 110 competitors with a 2.68 winning average.

The big cubes provided a proving ground for sustained focus, where Griffin Clem produced a commanding double victory. Clem took top honors in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:45.74 average, leading Benjamin Ragan and Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez across the finish line. Clem repeated the feat in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a 2:34.47 average ahead of Ragan and Lucas Kuczaj. In the Clock event, Azaro Gorloo registered a 5.24 average to win over Valdes Rodriguez and Kuczaj, while Ryan Yasinko captured the Square-1 title with a steady 12.56 average.

Away from the main stage, numerous competitors marked substantial personal milestones across the schedule at this Canadian Prairie Championship 2024. Owen Zheng delivered one of the weekend highlights by taking ninth place in the 4x4x4 Cube, setting a personal best of 30.96 seconds that cut 47.1 percent off his prior 58.55 mark, while also logging his first official attempts in the 6x6x6 Cube at 2:43.27 and the 7x7x7 Cube at 5:36.69. Liam Bolduc entered seven events and earned tenth place in the 2x2x2 Cube, alongside maiden attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:01.12, Clock at 17.79, and Skewb at 9.26.

The spirit of broadening horizons continued throughout the undercard as athletes expanded their repertoires at this WCA competition. Ben McDormand took on ten events, earning 30th place in the 7x7x7 Cube with a first attempt of 7:56.71, alongside debuts in the 5x5x5 Cube at 2:19.28 and 6x6x6 Cube at 5:35.00. Nolan Wan contested eight events, achieving a 16th-place finish in Megaminx while recording first attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube, 5x5x5 Cube, and Skewb. Kian Noel Bacerra Natividad tackled nine disciplines, posting initial official results in Pyraminx at 4.60 seconds, Square-1 at 34.16, and 6x6x6 Cube at 6:20.90.

Further broad schedules saw Max Macdonald contest 12 events, finishing 16th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while logging first marks in the 4x4x4 Cube, Clock, and 6x6x6 Cube. Brett Anvik entered six events, securing 44th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a first attempt of 35.88 seconds, alongside debuts in Pyraminx and the 4x4x4 Cube. Ibrahim Hussain Niaz rounded out an ambitious slate of nine disciplines, earning 37th place in Skewb while registering first career attempts in the 5x5x5 Cube at 4:01.78, Megaminx at 4:07.50, and Clock at 22.81.

The specialty events highlighted deep technical preparation, none more so than 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where Jake Klassen solved without sight in 19.44 seconds to claim victory over Bernabe Kondrak and Azaro Gorloo. Kyle Santucci added a second gold medal by navigating the 3x3x3 One-Handed bracket with an 11.04 winning average. As the Canadian Prairie Championship 2024 concluded in Calgary, the assembled field demonstrated the depth of modern speed cubing, where methodical discipline and steady nerves continue to define championship success on the prairie stage.